Guidance on washing food, clothes and shoes during coronavirus pandemic

Should you take extra care with your shoes during the coronavirus pandemic? (Image: Getty Images)

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Official guidance on the measures we each need to take to keep ourselves and others safe through social distancing has been clear. But there are many different scenarios of everyday life which haven't been dealt with so clearly or prominently.

You've probably heard of, or discussed with your friends or family, concerns about the possibility of bringing coronavirus into your home on clothes, shoes, the mail or deliveries.

Making sure you follow the regulations on social distancing and self-isolation laid out by the Welsh Government will help you minimise the risk of contracting coronavirus ( you can read them here ). But does observing lockdown regulations completely eliminate the risk of bringing coronavirus into our homes in other ways?

Hopefully, this article will make you feel a bit better about these concerns, while encouraging you to take the practical measures that should further minimise the risk of contracting the virus.

Coronavirus and food: How concerned should I be?

Official UK government advice says " it is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus (Covid-19) from food ". It says cooking food thoroughly will kill the virus and that Covid-19 is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging. However, it adds that it is especially important to wash hands before handling food or eating.

Food packaging: UK government advice says: "If you have been shopping, there should be no need to sanitise the outer packaging of food. You should still follow good hygiene practice by washing your hands after handling any outer packaging."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) also says the risk of catching the virus from a package that has been moved, travelled and exposed to different conditions and temperature is very low.

You can reduce the risk further by removing as much outer packaging as possible, for example, the cardboard box containing a bag of cereal, Dr Lisa Cross, a virologist, told Channel 4 programme How Clean is Your House?. You could transfer some foods into separate containers from your home before putting them away. Dr Cross said that any foods that can't leave their packets, like soup or tinned goods should be wiped down with soapy water. She also said that after unpacking your shopping in this way, you should wipe down the surfaces with household disinfectants.

Loose food: The UK government again says that catching coronavirus from loose food is "very unlikely" and advises "good hygiene and preparation practices" like washing fresh produce to help to remove any contamination on the surface. Peeling the outer layers or skins of certain fruits and vegetables can also help to remove surface contamination. But don't wash raw chicken or other meat as this can lead to cross-contamination in your kitchen.

Takeaways: UK government advice says it is safe to have takeaway food delivered, providing the business you order from is following government safety guidance and those delivering food observe social distancing guidance.

Dr Javid Abdelmoniem, an A&E doctor and Dr Cross told How Clean is Your House? that takeaway food is unlikely to be a risk, because even if the virus particles are ingested, they probably would not survive in our stomach acid. But they did say food packaging should be more of a concern. Coronavirus is thought to be able to live for up to 24 hours on cardboard, and between three to five days on plastic (more on this below).

Professor Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC that to minimise the risk of packaging contamination, you should empty the contents of your takeaway onto a clean plate, dispose of the packaging into a refuse bag and wash your hands thoroughly before you eat.

Coronavirus and clothes: Can I bring the virus home on my clothes?

There is no firm official advice on this on government websites. The World Health Organisation says the droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks are too heavy to hang in the air and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. But a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March found that virus particles can survive a short time in the air. But they are unlikely to collide with your clothes, Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, told the New York Times : “A droplet that is small enough to float in air for a while also is unlikely to deposit on clothing because of aerodynamics. The droplets are small enough that they’ll move in the air around your body and clothing.”

Dr Marr added: “As we move, we push air out of the way, and most of the droplets and particles get pushed out of the way, too. Someone would have to spray large droplets through talking — a spit talker — coughing or sneezing for them to land on our clothes. The droplets have to be large enough that they don’t follow the streamlines.”

Dr Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, at Yale University, told the Guardian : "There’s a certain amount of viral particles that you need to be exposed to become infected. If you just had one viral particle on your finger, it’s unlikely that you’re going to be infected. The fewer viral particles you’re exposed to, the less likely you’re going to get infected."

What about laundry? Can I shake the virus loose from clothing and become infected?

Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, addressed this with the New York Times, saying: “We do know that viruses can deposit on clothing (from droplets) and then be shaken loose into the air with movement, but you would need a lot of viruses for this to be a concern, far more than a typical person would encounter while going for a walk outdoors or going to a grocery store.”

However, you should take more care if you are in close contact with someone who has Covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US advises in this case to "wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from an ill person and then discard after each use" and "clean hands immediately after gloves are removed". It also advises to try and avoid shaking dirty laundry, to minimise the possibility of dispersing virus through the air.

Could my shoes bring coronavirus into my home?

You may have discussed with friends the possibility of tracking Covid-19 into your home on your shoes. Of course, shoes can bring all sorts of bacteria into your house but Dr Andrew Janowski, instructor of pediatric infectious diseases at Washington University School of Medicine, told the New York Times shoes are not a big worry as far as coronavirus is concerned.

If you are concerned about shoes, however, you can put them in the washing machine (if they're suitable) or take them off at the door and not walk through the house in them. It might be better not to wipe them down, though, as that could mean transferring any bacteria there on to your hands.

However, Dr Javid Abdelmoniem, an A&E doctor, and Dr Lisa Cross, a virologist, told Channel 4's How Clean is Your House? that it was a good idea to take off your shoes as soon as you enter the house, to try to wear the same pair of shoes each time you leave, and to try to keep them in the same place when they are at home.

They said: "When you first come in from the outside, take off your shoes immediately. Most shoes have a non-porous rubbery sole, which the virus can survive on anywhere between three and five days. Keep shoes in your hallway, or the same spot and try to use only one pair of shoes to go outside.”

Dr Abdelmoneim and Dr Cross also advised changing and washing clothes straight after being outside – particularly if you’ve been on public transport.

Could I become infected with Covid-19 while outside exercising?

If you stick to the social distancing guidelines and keep a safe distance from others, you should be fine.

“Outdoors is safe, and there is certainly no cloud of virus-laden droplets hanging around,” Lidia Morawska, professor and director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, told the New York Times.

“Firstly, any infectious droplets exhaled outside would be quickly diluted in outdoor air, so their concentrations would quickly become insignificant. In addition, the stability of the virus outside is significantly shorter than inside. So outside is not really a problem, unless if we are in a very crowded place — which is not allowed now anyway. It is safe to go for a walk and jog and not to worry about the virus in the air, and there is no need for an immediate washing of the clothes.”

The mail and deliveries: Should I be concerned about contracting Covid-19 this way?

The World Health Organisation says the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, as is the risk of catching Covid-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature.

Dr Julia Marcus told the Guardian that people are much more likely to be infected by close contact with an infected person than by touching a contaminated surface. But she said: "I would recommend that any time something new comes into your household, be conscious of washing your hands after handling it."

Dr Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, at Yale University, told the Guardian: "[Covid-19’s] stability is pretty good on the cardboard. Once you get those packages, open them, quickly throw away the cardboard, wash your hands, and try to avoid touching your face."

You should even do this for your letters, Dr Perpetua Emeagi, a lecturer in human biology and biological sciences at Liverpool Hope University, told the Metro, adding that people should adopt an "open it, read it and bin it" strategy.

Coronavirus and money: Can Covid-19 be spread through coins and bank notes?

The World Health Organisation says there is currently no evidence to confirm or disprove that Covid-19 can be transmitted through coins or banknotes. However, respiratory droplets expelled from an infected person can contaminate and persist on surfaces. It says: "Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly after touching any frequently-touched surface or object, including coins or banknotes. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose, if your hands are not cleaned."

How long does coronavirus last on surfaces?

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March found that the virus can survive under ideal conditions up to three days on hard metal surfaces and plastic and up to 24 hours on cardboard. The study did not look at clothing. But the New York Times reports that most virus experts believe the fibres in fabric would have a similar effect to that of cardboard.

The World Health Organisation says it is not certain how long the virus that causes Covid-19 survives on surfaces but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses and may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions. It says: "If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose."